Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

All plotlines, characterizations, and details in Eternally Intertwined 2.0: Blood Ties belong to the author: Bronzehyperion. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without the author's authorization. ©2011-2013 Bronzehyperion. All rights reserved worldwide.

This is the sequel to Eternally Intertwined. I advise you to read/skim over it before you read this because otherwise most won't make sense.

This story wouldn't be the same without my BETA Litmom. Thanks for being so patient with me :)

What happened previously:

"Jasper, put her down," Alice demanded. "You cannot just carry her out of here. That will get all of us killed."

"I did a little tour of this place. You'd be surprised at how badly some parts are being guarded. No wonder Aro wants you and Edward to join his guard, because he is definitely minus a few."

"Jasper, you cannot try to smuggle me out of here. It's impossible. And Alice is right. We will all get hurt."

He shrugged and carried me to the door. "It's worth the risk."

"Jasper, really, I don't think…" Alice tried, but he ignored her and opened the door, where we came face to face with Aro.

"Going somewhere?"

CHAPTER 12: LAB RAT

BELLA

"Going somewhere?"

Before any of us could answer, a familiar face appeared behind a calm looking Aro.

A part of me felt relief. A bigger part of me feared the consequences of our attempted escape even more now.

"Put Bella back on the bed, Jasper."

It was Carlisle. On the surface he looked stoic; his face was showing no emotion but his body language betrayed him. I noticed how one hand was balled into a tense fist. In the other he carried his medical bag.

Jasper sighed and flashed me an apologetic smile before carrying me back to the bed. He put me down gently and then covered me with the white sheets.

"I will forget about what I just saw," Aro murmured. "I'll pretend you wanted to take Isabella for a walk, take her out for some fresh air. But if you try a stunt like that again," he threatened, "well, I don't think I have to explain to you what the consequences will be."

None of us spoke or tried to protest. We all knew better.

Instead we let an awkward and heavy silence take over.

Alice kept her eyes on Carlisle, who kept his eyes on me.

And I looked at him, wondering what he was doing here.

"Aro invited me to Volterra so I can examine you," he answered my unspoken question. "The situation seems to be quite unique."

"Yes, Carlisle told me that he ran some tests a few months ago, when Edward first experienced a heartbeat," Aro added. "Well, a presumed heartbeat."

I remembered that. It had happened a few times after we'd made love.

My cheeks burned at the thought of Edward covering his body with mine, taking me and claiming me.

FOCUS! Bella, I chided myself. It was inappropriate in so many ways to be thinking of sex with Edward right now.

Still, it had been a while. But everything was different now.

Anyway, the times Edward had felt that strange sensation in his chest – presumably a heartbeat - before, the feeling never lasted.

But now he'd been hearing it for days. Or so Alice and Jasper had told me.

"The tests I ran before didn't lead to anything significant," Carlisle said.

"What's happening now seems to be different. The heartbeat is persistent now."

"You have seen Edward?" Alice asked, to which he nodded.

"I asked Carlisle to see Edward first. We have to know what this means," Aro said. The glint in his eyes betrayed how eager he was to unravel this mystery.

"I'm sure you would love to know what this means," Jasper muttered. He had his arms crossed, legs wide. "So you can use it to exploit Edward and Bella."

He was definitely taking a defensive stance. Felix copied him, grinning and enjoying the idea of a fight.

Carlisle noticed it too, because before Jasper could say anything that could really get him into trouble, he diffused the building tension.

"Aro has assured me that both Bella and Edward are safe. We all are," he murmured. To an untrained ear, his reassurance sounded sincere. But even I – while human – wasn't naïve enough to think we were actually free of danger.

"We all have a common goal here," he emphasized.

"Provided there won't be any other escape plans," Aro warned. "I won't be so tolerant the next time that happens."

"How are you feeling, Bella?" Carlisle asked me, as he stepped closer.

"Sore and tired," I muttered.

"Well, I heard Doctor Zamprani took good care of you, but I would still like to examine your injuries. Do you mind?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't mind."

Carlisle turned to the others in the room. "May we have some privacy?"

Aro frowned. "No tricks, Carlisle. You are an old friend and I trust you. But you know how I feel about betrayal."

Carlisle nodded. "I am just here to do my job," he said.

Aro nodded and then left with Felix and Demetri.

Jasper and Alice hesitated, until Carlisle gestured for them to leave the room as well.

As soon as we were alone, Carlisle opened his bag. First he pulled out an iPod. He pressed play and the room was filled with the sounds of Debussy. "To make you feel at ease," he explained.

And then he pulled out a syringe.

I gulped at the sight. It was big. And filled with some strange translucent liquid.

Like that thing was going to make me feel at ease.

"What's that?" I whispered.

"A choice."

EDWARD

Carlisle was here. He was the expert Aro had summoned – yes summoned, to figure out what was going on with me and what effect Bella's blood had on my internal system.

It was a strange relief during a time where everything was confusing and chaotic. Carlisle was my father, a man of reason and a man of science. If anyone could get us some answers, it was him.

Of course, in that lay the problem. If Carlisle was able to figure this out, what would the consequences be?

How far would Aro go? Would he kill us and leave Bella alive? Or would he extend the torment and lock us all up?

He was in control now and I didn't like that at all.

And trying to outsmart the Volturi, as much as I wanted to, provided to be difficult and dangerous.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The moment I forgot the sound, it popped up again, like a constant reminder of this…rebirth, if that's what it was.

I wondered what it looked like. If my heart, nothing more than a useless organ for so long, was now audibly beating inside me.

It reminded me of a few months ago, when Carlisle had jokingly suggested he could cut me open to see what my heart was doing inside my chest. That was right after I had sensed the peculiar feeling of a heartbeat for the first time.

Right after I had made love to Bella.

Bella. I missed her. My heart, dead or alive, beat for her.

Because of her, I reminded myself grimly.

I was the reason she was here in the first place. Why she had gotten hurt and why she was now a science project to Aro.

A lab rat, much like me. Except I could handle it. Could she?

I tried to push down the guilt that was eating at me. But with every beat, it grew stronger, because every beat reminded me of how Bella's blood was now coursing through me.

And that made me incredibly thirsty.

I couldn't deny Aro had played this out perfectly. Starving me first before offering me the biggest temptation I'd ever known.

And he had won. One drop and I was hooked.

I could still taste it on my tongue, the sweet rich taste.

My gums ached at the thought and venom pooled up in my mouth.

I wanted Bella, and if she were here in front of me right now, I would probably take her again.

Her blood hadn't just awakened a heartbeat; it had also tapped into a long dormant need for blood. The monster was satisfied for now, but he would always want more. And battling him successfully seemed impossible now.

Ultimately that meant that even when Bella still wanted to see me after we'd make it out of here unscathed, I wouldn't be able to be around her. It would be too great a risk.

That hurt, knowing we couldn't be together unless she became a vampire.

And for some reason that seemed a bigger sacrifice now.

Technically the situation wasn't so different from before, but I wasn't so sure anymore if my beloved still wanted to share immortal life with me. And why should she; I had tried to kill her after all.

I had always been so capable of controlling myself. And with one bite, that had all been erased.

I had ruined everything with my choice. And now I had to be patient – and possibly afraid - to find out what Bella would choose.

BELLA

A choice. In that sharp pointy needle in Carlisle's hand, lay a choice.

A choice I had to make right away because it wouldn't be long before we'd be interrupted.

Talk about pressure.

"This contains Edward's venom," Carlisle had explained just moments earlier. "He has been collecting it since you agreed to become a vampire. Mostly as a precaution, though, because you never set a specific date for your uh…transformation."

I was stunned by the reveal. Sure, not too long ago I had actually made the choice to become immortal, and I stood by it 100%, but knowing Edward had been preparing for it? That truly came as a surprise.

"If I inject it, you will be a vampire in three days. There will be nothing Aro can do to stop it," Carlisle said.

"He could hurt you," I pointed out, whispering over the music, knowing Carlisle could be able to hear me and hoping no one else could.

Aro would. If Carlisle injected this venom and it turned me into a vampire, Aro would kill the Cullens. And then me.

Carlisle nodded. "That's a possibility. But the alternative is horrible. He wants your blood, Bella. At any cost. So I can guarantee he will hurt you. You will suffer."

He pulled out a different needle. This one I recognized. It was to draw my blood.

"I can inject you with Edward's venom," he said quietly. "Or I can do what Aro has asked me and draw your blood so I can examine it further. Like I said; it's your choice."

EDWARD

Time meant nothing anymore. It was starting to slip away from me. I stared at the grey walls in my cell, counting the specks of cement, to occupy myself.

Hours passed without anything changing. It made me strangely aloof and the heartbeat in my chest kept lulling me into a state of semi -consciousness.

Still, as the door to my prison opened again, I was instantly alert.

Carlisle stood in the doorway. To the untrained eye he looked normal with no hint of emotion, but I had no trouble reading his true feelings.

No. Bella had rejected my venom. She didn't want eternity with me anymore.

Carlisle noticed my defeat and tried to reassure me with his thoughts.

Edward, Bella hasn't rejected you. But she thinks the risk is too big. She is trying to protect us.

She's brave.

I was relieved but also worried about the consequences. As long as Bella was human, Aro could experiment on her all he liked.

And on me too, although that was the least of my worries.

"I need to try and take some of your blood," He said, pulling me out of my reverie. "I want to see what's happening. There has to be some kind of mutation going on inside you," he explained.

I rolled up the sleeve of my black shirt. As my fingers touched my skin in the process, I was once again amazed by how warm my skin felt.

Or maybe I was imagining it.

"Will you be able to get a needle in?" Felix asked. He stood behind my father, keeping a watchful eye on both of us. "Aro doesn't want any mistakes."

Carlisle ignored him. "Make a fist," he told me.

I did as he said, and waited for the needle to break against my skin.

But it didn't. Instead, it pierced through easily, which surprised both of us.

And it didn't stop there. Carlisle was able to draw blood without a problem. Something that hadn't happened since I'd been human.

Once Carlisle had enough he handed me a band aid, assuming the small puncture wound would keep bleeding, given my new state.

Except it didn't. The small wound healed instantly.

"Interesting," he murmured.

It seemed not everything had changed.

ALICE

"Wow, Aro really thinks of everything, doesn't he?"

I watched, intrigued as Carlisle stood over a microscope. He was studying both Edward and Bella's blood.

"When he wants something, he gets it."

"So, what do you see?" I was curious, so darn curious.

Mostly because I hated how I hadn't seen any of this coming. It unnerved me to know I had missed so much, and it made me wonder what else I had overlooked.

I had seen many things in my time, all kinds of visions, but none of them had ever shown Bella's blood to be some kind of magical elixir that could make a vampire feel like a human again.

"The structure of the blood Edward's consumed," Carlisle murmured. "I won't get too technical, but there is some kind of mutation. Almost as if it creates new cells."

"So her blood is able to transform a vampire back into a human?"

Carlisle looked up from the microscope. "It's possible, but I think it's too soon to make those kinds of assumptions. All I can say for certain is that Bella's blood has an effect on Edward. The blood inside him – usually animal blood, it breaks down, like waste. Like burning calories, I suppose you could say. But this has remained in his system. His body is not breaking it down the usual way."

I chuckled dryly. "Well, we know Bella has an effect on him all around."

Carlisle flashed a tiny smile before going back to staring into the lens.

"Will Edward have to drink more of her blood? To be sure, I mean. Because I don't think he wants to."

Carlisle raised his brow.

I sighed. "Okay, I am sure he wants to. Deep down inside. But his mind must be struggling. That guilty conscious has come back to haunt him."

"He had no choice. The consequences would have been far worse if he had disobeyed Aro," Carlisle remarked.

"True. But that doesn't stop the guilt he is feeling now. I mean, Bella is handling things a whole lot better than Edward is, and she is the one who was bitten and possibly has magical blood," I mused.

"Edward has always been very hard on himself," Carlisle said. "He feels like he failed Bella by drinking her blood. Especially because it unleashed his inner monster. He's been trying to protect Bella from that for so long."

I rolled my eyes. My brother could be such a drama queen. In many ways I was more like Emmett when it came to guilt. If something happened, you could dwell on it, but it was better to kick yourself, learn from it, and move on.

"His guilt won't keep her safe now," I pointed out. "If her blood does what we think it might do, she is an open target. Which she knows. And that's why I don't understand why she chose..."

I didn't finish my sentence, knowing there were eyes and, more importantly, ears everywhere. But I had seen what Carlisle had offered Bella. A syringe filled with Edward's venom. It would have made her a vampire in a few days. That seemed better than being Aro's lab rat.

But Bella, stubborn as she was, hadn't seemed to feel the same way. She wanted to protect us more than she wanted to keep herself safe.

"Bella is brave," was all Carlisle said.

"What do you think Aro will do to us?" I asked him. Carlisle knew the Volturi better than anyone; he had been one of them for over a century.

"Aro can be a fair man," Carlisle said. He too was aware that we were probably being watched and any word could be used against us. "It's possible we will all walk away from this unscathed. But that depends..."

"On?"

Carlisle once again looked up from the microscope. "On what Bella's blood can truly do. Maybe it can only affect Edward. Maybe not."

"And how will we know that for sure?"

He held out a test tube with the red liquid. I held my breath instantly, knowing the kind of effect it could have on me if I took a whiff.

"By testing it on another vampire."

BELLA

I had to pee. Which was very unfortunate. I was pretty sure I couldn't do it alone because I was still too weak.

Stupid, watchful eyes. Demetri was standing in one corner; clearly he was still alive, despite almost letting a human girl escape earlier. I guess Jasper hadn't made up that story after all.

Meanwhile, Jane was watching me from the door, giving me a creepy grin.

It reminded me of her power and how she could hurt people by simply staring at them. Except for me.

I wondered if I would be able to take her on if I were a vampire myself. As a human she couldn't harm me with her mind games; would that be the same if I were a vampire?

I sighed, thinking I might have blown a possible advantage we'd have over the Volturi and their guard.

But when Carlisle had asked me if I wanted to be transformed into a vampire right then and there, there was no choice but to say no.

I had to protect the Cullens.

Also, and I would never admit this to Carlisle, I was worried about what I would be like as a newborn vampire.

If my nightmares were any indication, I was brutal and dangerous. Capable of killing Edward.

Edward. Although I knew he was somewhere inside here, it felt like we were miles apart. And I wanted to see him so badly.

But Alice had explained Edward couldn't be around me right now, because my blood was too tempting.

Another thing that would disappear if I became immortal.

Why was I still human anyway, except for this thing with my blood?

I was getting tired of the probing and prodding and the giant needles that were needed to get my blood.

Lab rat Bella.

I sighed, which instantly gained both Demetri's as well as Jane's attention.

"What is it?" both asked simultaneously.

I shrugged.

"I need to use the bathroom."

Jane rolled her eyes. She hated my human moments. She looked back at Demetri, who grinned. He was enjoying the fact she was in this position.

"Can you walk?" Jane muttered.

I nodded, as I sat up. I swayed a little at first, but then, after taking a few deep breaths the dizziness disappeared. I slowly pushed myself onto my feet and steadied myself against the bed.

"Okay, I think I can walk," I told her, as she grabbed my arm and guided me to the en suite bathroom.

Once I was inside, Jane surprised me by not entering, too. Instead she closed the door as soon as I was inside.

I welcomed the short moment of privacy, just to be able to gather my thoughts.

I peed first and then went to wash my face, which looked pale. I had huge circles under my eyes and the stark white band aid on the side of my neck stood out like a sore thumb.

My eyes were dull and my hair looked like a haystack. My cheeks were sunken and I was swimming in the soft yellow silk pajamas someone had put me in.

I'd clearly lost weight after my period of starvation.

What a mess.

I thought about Charlie and Jake and Angela. Esme and Emmett. Even Rosalie.

I had to keep all of them safe. And of course Carlisle, Jasper, Alice, and Edward too.

No matter what it took.

I knew I would never see Forks again, but that's what I had signed up for when I had agreed to a deal with Aro.

Still, I wondered.

Was Charlie looking for me? Did he think I was dead? I had always known that someday I would indeed have to fake my own death because Charlie could never know about the Cullens or how vampires were real, but I'd never wanted it to be like this.

And what about Angela and Jake? Were they still looking for Sapphire? Was Garrett still around?

So many questions, and I would never get the answer.

None of this was right.

"Are you done in there?" Jane's shrill voice sounded through the door. "You've taken long enough," she snipped. "Come out now!"

I sighed, took one more look in the mirror and then unlocked the door. Jane stood there and guided me back to the bed.

Feeling her cool skin on mine, there was a moment of regret. If only I had chosen the option of taking Edward's venom.

But I had to protect him. All of them. No matter what.

And so I knew what I had to do.

"I want to talk to Aro."

ALICE

I felt nothing. I heard nothing. There was no difference.

Carlisle had fed me Bella's blood but everything was still the same.

Unlike with Edward. His skin was supposedly warmer. In his ears a constant rhythm of a beating heart now echoed.

But I was still Vampire Alice. Bella's blood was currently pushing through my veins but I wasn't experiencing the things Edward was.

Carlisle put the stethoscope to my chest again. He listened intently for a while. He checked his watch, as if to count any beats.

"Well?"

"It's…I don't really hear anything," he admitted. He sounded bemused.

"I knew it. I don't hear anything either. And my skin is cold."

Carlisle nodded. "Perhaps you didn't take in enough. I could give you more."

I shrugged. I wasn't sure if it would make a difference, but it was worth a shot.

I nodded. "Let's do it."

Carlisle took another tube filled with Bella's blood and handed it to me.

I gulped it down, my gums aching as the liquid entered my body.

At least that was normal, even if it posed a huge risk.

For me to drink human blood, even as an experiment, was dangerous because I'd been on the animal diet for so long.

Even if it didn't give me a heartbeat, it still made me thirsty.

One test tube and I wanted more. Two and I was ready to go to town, literally. I wanted to hunt and I fought against the instinct of it.

My feet were tapping against the floor and my hands clawed at my designer pants as another round of Bella's blood coursed through me.

If I HAD been a human, it would have felt like I was having a panic attack right now.

Jasper noticed it too, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Carlisle, you can't give her any more blood. It will ruin everything you have worked for, for so long."

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, I am beginning to see that," he admitted. "It would appear this is not the same with Edward. With him, while he is also thirsty, the blood clearly has a different effect."

"Clearly," Jasper muttered. "Look, it's pointless to give Alice any more. This experiment needs to stop," my love said firmly. "Look at her; she's slowly losing her mind. Falling apart at the seams."

I could tell he was worried about me. I was worried about me.

"I'm fine," I said, but it sounded like a growl. This darn thirst. It was building and building.

"I am going to take you to our room," Jasper announced. He led me to the door, which was being blocked by Felix. Aro had ordered him to play watchdog while Carlisle did his tests.

"Going somewhere?"

"I am taking Alice to our room, if you don't mind," Jasper muttered.

Felix shrugged. "I can't leave the good doctor alone," he said.

"Then I suggest you find someone to watch Carlisle because I am going," Jasper said. He was being defiant on purpose.

"Jazz, it's okay. We can wait here. I am sure Carlisle needs to do more tests."

Jasper shook his head. "I don't think it's safe to do more tests. You are already too thirsty and it's dangerous for you to be around people."

Felix rolled his eyes but did step away from the door. "You are a disgrace to all vampires, you know that. All this whining and denying your true nature. It's pathetic. You have to embrace what you are."

"Embrace what you are," Jasper scoffed as he opened the door. "What could you possibly know about that? You haven't seen the things I have seen."

The two started arguing and a part of me considered jumping in. Felix was much larger than Jazz and although he could hold his own, I didn't want him to piss off a Volturi Guard and risk the wrath of Aro.

But a larger part looked at the long corridor. Wide open and waiting for me to run.

Freedom.

To look for someone to feed on.

BELLA

I was bored.

I couldn't sleep, although my body still felt so tired. I'd gotten some books to read but my head started throbbing the moment my brain tried to comprehend a full sentence.

Counting the tiles on the wall didn't help, and being watched by Demetri and Jane made me nervous. I was still waiting for Aro to come and see me, although Jane had told me I'd have to be patient for that.

I wasn't just bored, I was also stuck.

I closed my eyes and tried to summon happy thoughts, which was pointless because all my mind could come up with was the horrific feeling of Edward's teeth piercing through my skin. I didn't blame him, not at all, but the feeling, the sharp pain, it wasn't easy to forget.

I was about to doze off when Felix came crashing into the room. "We have a problem!" he said before running back out of the room with Jane and Demetri following him.

I was stunned they left me alone, though my body was too tired to respond appropriately and get up to act.

I'd have no place to go anyway; one of the guards would catch me easily.

I stared at the open door for a moment, until someone appeared in my line of sight.

"Alice," I called out in surprise. "Jane and Demetri are gone. Felix came bursting in here and…"

I didn't finish my sentence as she approached. Her eyes looked wild and unfocused and she licked her lips.

"Alice?"

She didn't speak. She only inched closer.

"Alice, I think someone might have escaped again," I babbled. "Is it Edward?"

My stomach clenched at the thought that they were hunting him.

My best friend shook her head before baring her teeth. "Edward's fine…

I am the one they are looking for."

As always, thanks for being VERY patient. Real life keeps kicking my ass. But I will finish this story no matter what. I hope to update before the holidays and will do my best to make that happen. But just in case: I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2014!